HISTORY OF THE SIBERIAN FOREST CAT

Many stories have been told about this breed which we are not sure are true today. The Siberian Cats first appeared in recorded history in the year 1000. The breed as it spread throughout Europe, was noted in Harrison Weir's late nineteenth century book, "Our Cats and All About Them", as one of the three longhairs represented at the first cat show held in England in the 1700's. Also in Russian folklore these magnificent cats made their homes in Russian monasteries. In the monasteries they would walk along the high beams and use their speed, strength, and agility. The Siberians would be on the lookout for intruders, and yet show the monks loyal and loving companionship. The Siberian is also Russia's native cat. With all of this information we all can see that it is not a new breed to Europe.

In later years after the end of the cold war in Russia, cat clubs became fashionable, and citizens were allowed to own pets. Many cat clubs developed and one is St. Petersburg Kotofei (pronounced COT-ah-fay), which is a division of ACFA. Kotofei, named after a fabled Russian character who had the head of a cat, is one of the few Russian cat clubs that extended official pedigrees. It wasn't until 1987 that Kotofei was formed and breeding records started being kept. The first cat show in Moscow was held in 1988. Since then many new cat clubs and registries have developed.

In 1990 a Himalayan breeder named Elizabeth Terrell who lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a materials engineer from Hackensack, New Jersey, named David Boehm both began negotiations with Russian breeders. Mrs. Terrell was in a cultural exchange of two breeds not know in either region. She had two Himalayans sent to Russia in exchange for some Siberians. Mrs. Terrell saw a 1988 article in a Himalayan breed publication that asked if any American breeders would be willing to send Himalayans to Russia to help get that breed established there. Meanwhile David Boehm had read an article about the Siberian Cats written by a women in West Germany. Later he learned that she was coming that year to the States exhibiting two of her Siberians at the ACFA international show. After speaking to her at the show he decided to go to Russia himself and get some Siberians and bring them back. As he arrived in Moscow three Siberian kittens departed the airport bound for the United States. The three kittens were being shipped to Elizabeth Terrell. After much searching he arrived back home with many Siberians of his own. From all of these many long hours and communication with the Russians the United States now had the Siberian Cat. There are still many countries that still do not have this wonderful breed or still may not know of it yet.